Sustainability vs energy security: Using one to achieve the other

The energy trilemma of energy security, affordability and sustainability guides the energy transition now more than ever.

However, frequently questioned is which corner of the trilemma needs to get priority, especially when it comes to security versus sustainability.

For Schneider Electric’s Frederic Godemel – executive vice president for power systems and services – the priority is clear: security is first, although it should be through renewables that our energy is secured.

“The fact is that energy abundance will always come before sustainability. If people have a shortage of energy, which is what we have seen this Winter, the immediate solution is to use [less sustainable solutions] to lighten demand,” stated Godemel during an exclusive Connect interview at Enlit Europe 2022.

For the energy executive, energy supply is a necessity, no matter the context, “especially electricity, and when a shortage exists, this is what comes first.”

However, this is not to say that sustainability should be side-lined; on the contrary, renewables are the best way forward to ensure secure and reliable energy systems.

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“However, a good piece of news is that the only source of energy that is superabundant [no matter where you look] is renewable. And this doesn’t depend on geopolitics – if one invests massively in renewables in their own country, it helps their energy security and supply.

“Once we have people in the crisis facing the fact that gas and petrol can’t be relied on in the long term, they will come back naturally to what is available at scale and then start to question, ‘what can I do on my own premise to…at least secure 10 or 15% of my energy supply by myself’, which changes a lot…”

Shifting gear into carbon neutral

Godemel’s advice for businesses and consumers looking to make a shift into clean energy is proper planning to become as energy efficient as possible.

“Start with what is immediately accessible and the fastest to implement – energy saving.”

The contributions that are offered by energy-saving measures are too tangible to ignore, he emphasizes, as when energy generation is not renewable it has an immediately additive effect on carbon emissions.

It is here that energy efficiency proves its value case, as such measures can, according to Godemel, be implemented in very short windows and with little to no regulatory barriers.

When it comes to large-scale renewable energy generation, however, regulatory barriers abound – speed is often times cited as one of the primary gripes for industry stakeholders when it comes to getting renewable projects off the ground.  

Said Godemel: “You will not create a grid-scale solar farm in two to six months. And on the contrary, if you decide to equip your building with a solar panel, you will be ready for the next Summer.”

With a solar-equipped rooftop, he adds, that building would have its own renewable capacity. Apply this logic to an industrial setup, and the results add up.

“These are much shorter decisions where one doesn’t need a lot of discussions or approval…”

Watch the Connect Interview with Frederic Godemel below or on Enlit.World

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